Say 'Xbox on' and your next console will start up

Skype is expected to come as standard

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Microsoft's next Xbox will be equipped for voice recognition, according to sources. And its skills will be so advanced you'll be able to just say "Xbox on" and it'll start up.

It'll have some other neat abilities too, The Verge's sources say. Apparently you'll be able to ask your Xbox, "What are my friends playing?" and it'll show a list of who's doing what online, so you can join in the fun.

Search will be revamped too, with your Xbox talking back when you ask it a question. The question is, what kind of personality will Microsoft give it? Sassy like Siri? Or more of a gamer dude to frag with?

You'll also be able to start a movie from where you left off, just by asking your Xbox to play it.

Believe the Skype

More prosaic voice recognition features will be on board too, the sources say, including text-to-speech and natural language controls. Microsoft owns Skype, so the VOIP service is widely expected to find its way into the next-generation console.

Yesterday we heard Microsoft's next Xbox could stop you playing second-hand games, thanks to an always-on Internet connection that verifies each title. It may also have a Blu-ray drive, which would be the first time Microsoft has embraced the format.

The console is expected to be announced at E3 this summer, so we'll know for sure then. Anyone else get the feeling Microsoft is drip-feeding us these rumours to overshadow the PS4 announcement in a couple of weeks?